Staccato mechanism for musical instruments.



R. HOPE-JONES. STAOCATO MEOEANISM FOB. MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS APPLICATION FILED DEC. 27, 1910. I

1, 1 1 5,541.. Patented Nov. 3, 1914.

RoZerl/pfeareas UNITED STATES PATENT oEEioE ROBERT HOPE-JONES, OF NORTH TONAWANDA, NEW YORK. ASSIGNOR TO THE EU- DOLPH W'URLITZER MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF NORTH TONAVJHQNDA. NEW

YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

STACGATO MECHANISM FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Pati'uited Nov. 3, 1.914.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ROBERT HOPE-JONES, of North Tonawanda, in the county of Niagara and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Staccato Mechanism for Musical Instruments; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear. and exact description of the same. reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification. and to the reternce-numerals marked thereon.

My present invention relates to musical instruments and more particularly to organs and it has for an object to provide an im proved means for automatically producing a staccato effect upon the pipes or other sound producing elements of the organ.

A further and principal objectof the invention is to enable the operator to obtain the effect of a staccato note upon one pipe simply by the depression of a single key on the manual. which pipe may beso sounded in unison with one or more other pipes coupled with it or otherwise under the control of that key, and capable of producing a sustained tone or tones while the key is held depressed.

To these and other ends the invention con-a sists in certain improvements and combina tions of parts all as will be hereinafter more fullydescribed, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the drawings: Figuri- 1 is a partially diagrammatic viewot a pair of organ pipes and their playing system, constructed in accordance with and illustrating one embodiment of my invention. the view showing in section the operating and controlling mechanism of each pipe, and Fig. 2 is a detail of the contacts of a circuit breaker.

Similar reference numerals throughout the several figures indicate the same parts.

The musical effects which I seek to produce have been only approximated hitherto by executing with one hand the staccato note or notes, (dependent for their uniformity and sharpness entirely upon the dexterity with which the keys are played) a very short, quick note of this kind on certain of the pipes or elements approaching in the character of its tone the picking or twanging of a stringed instrument, and in scribed in detail herein,

etlccting this with one hand while with the other a sustained tone is produced by the prolonged depressicn of another key on the same or a dili'ereut manual. In simplifying and at the same time improving .the eft'ect of such manipulation, I provide the hcrcinaftei described arrangements comprising. in the present instance. a combination of pneumatic and electrical devices. the latter of which, it will he understood. are represented in a purclv diagrammatic manner and as simply as is consistcnt with the results to he obtained although in the structure of a modern organ there are used. in place of the. parts represented. couu'ilicatcd devices that perform various functions other than those that enter into or will best aid in giving an understanding of thc comhim'v ticns ot' the present in ention. Referring more particularly to the drawinns. I have shown. in the present embodiment. a, pair of organ pipes 1 and 2 which are supplied with air at 3 and a ordiim to the opening and closing :iwvcmcnts of valves or pallets T and 8 from wind chests 8 and 9. The valves are held normally closed by springs 10 and 1]. and are opened through connecting members 12 and i l by the cdl lapsin'g of bellows ll and 15 arranged in the respective wind chests and exhausted through passages 16 and 17 and ports 13 and 15). These ports are controlled by valves 20 and 21 also common to ports 22 and 23 opening into the wind chests hymeans of which the bellows are inflated through the same passages and these valves are connected to bellows 24 and 25 exposed to the interior of the chests and having communicating passages 26 and 27. Electromagnetic priniarv valccs 28 and 29 control these passap es heing preferably constructed in accordance with the disclosure of my prior application. No. 572,082, filed July 15, 15 10, and hence they are not shown and w ll not be de Sutlicei t to say that when the magnets 30 I gized the. valves are opeiu cl exhausting: the two-bellows in each wind c itst and opening the pallets 5 and 6 to sound the p pes.

A playing key 32 carries a finger :33 which, when the key is depress d. connect the contacts 34 and 35 and closes a circuit a, 7) that includes the coil of the electromagnet 30 comprised within the opera-ti and ll are cnermechanism of the pipe 1 and. is supplied with energv in any suitable manner as by the generator it will thus be seen that continued depression of this key will hold the afiected Valves open and produce a sus" tained tone in the pipel,

A second key 36, on another lnanual we will say, carries a finger 37, which, when that key'is depressed, connect's'tlie contacts 38 a 1d 39 and closes a-circuit that includes the coilof the electromagnet 31 comprised within the operating niechanisin otthe pipe This circuit leads from one brush B of the generator A through wire 0, contacts 38 ano 39, wires (Z, c, f, g, magnetfil; wires ii, 5, contacts 40, 4i?) and lat scribed. in detail)- wire j and "thencethrough wire Z; to the brush C of the crater. interposed, however, within this I mentioned circuit also actuated by depression or key 36 so Lha-t'the operating mechanism of pipe 2 is also under the control of this circuit breaker when the key is depressed. It comprises, iii the present instance, a wind chest or pressure chamber e2 containing a bellows l3 con trolled by a yalve 4A in eX ,etly the-same inannon-it preferred, as the bellows 24 and 25,- sja'id valve comprising an electromagnet an. 30 The bellows4-3 carries a contact 45 (Fig. 2) which, when the bellows is expanded as is normally the case, connects the contacts 40, 41 in the circuit of the operating inechas jnism of pipe 2, and when the bellows is collapsed through the energizing of the magnet 1 4t? rises and breaks the circuit through these Contacts. I The magnet 44? of the circuit-breaker is energized, as before stated, through the depression of key 36 by a circuit leading from brush B of the generator through wire 0, contacts 38, 39, wires d, e, Z, the coil of mag net 4%", Wire m, and thence through wire it back to brush C. Thus the magnet breaks the circuit at the contact 45 of the operating mechanism for pipe 2 with the result that when the key 36 is operated,regardless of the length of tiine'it is held depressed, the pipe 2 will send forth only a very short, quick tone resembling a staccato note and all notes thus struck will he niechanirally uniform. The cloctroniagnet 31, o't course acts instantly to open the bellows to the atmosphere and as the latter is relatively small. it in turn acts almost instantly to open the pallet S and though the magnet 44 and the bellows 43 are of approximately corresponding sensitive there is yet time for tlic opening of the pallet 8 to loecomc efi'ective in the pipe 2, due in part to the lagging of the mechanical devices set in motion by the last mentioned magnet. In other words, thedevices'controlled by the .magnet 31 are at least eqdallyyas fast as 4-1, (which will he" I a circuit-breaker- -w brush-.3 otthe generator thereto, and

tive' actuation erase re nier is be? 7 'e; a 'f terrupting"ei fect of the liitterfas both circuitsare closed simultaneously Qf.,, o ,1rse, should it he desired t'o'souiid pipe"? in'tli'eu'sual manner the crating chanisrn could be, 3 e frond the control of the circuit hreancr hy suittih le clerice'interposed in the circuit of "the latter and having the function of a switch in which insta ce the bellows I wduldhr einain in its normalyenpanded position ancl allow the contact that it carries to remain at rest-upon the contacts 40 s thiis fa r described, 'pressionot' key 3: in-oipe'lwhile sink a'r i on. .1

L iolres only the short note is r- In pipe Therefore, the :1 :taneoirs clere sicn. of both keyswill accompanying sustained and staccato tone ds are still equired iezperatioh although the. delicate e v ifingening of oneot ithem-is done w u lldenahlehthe:'periforiner to do l l thing with one hand on a single key, the l: 32iter instance, is so fitted to enahl also ":close the circuits of key 38, that 1s, throughthe. operating mechanism of pipe 2 as well, li o this end it is provided, in the pneisentsimplified construction, wi h a Second fingen 4-6 which connects c o-, f =and-.4 '8-:l)ridged to the circuits of the key latter through wires 0, p to the t finger causes the joint soun twopipes, with the depression key, but vit does this'oi...r, howei coupler l) is drawn; so t e twoope? systems may be retained inde 3. each other except when the particu outlined desired. This coup been represented, in the. n inerelyas a switch as that is i ,s here-in.

. I claim as my inventi i. In a musical histruruent, tin tion with. tmie-prodncing el means for soi'mding the same, in 1 controlling said. sounding nieansand. of rende tie latter inopera' said deviceis itself operated, a and operating connections hetw. and both the sounding means and trolling device arranged to operate them successively in the order named with a single actuation of the key.

2. In a musical instrument, the combination with a tone producing element, means for sounding the same and an electrically" actuated device including a switch control- -,35 th: controlled by the magnet 44*- the? ling said sounding means and c'a oi 10 vice.

1 vice controlling said sounding means oper- 29 switches arranged int lows 6 the latter is operated by a single movement of the keY,

misses rendering the latter inogoerative when the circuit through said device is closed, of a playing key, operating connections between the latter and the sounding means whereby the switch of the electricali actuated device being arranged to be operated by the same movement of the key to close the circuit through the controlling de 3. In a musical instrument, the combination with a tone producing element and sounding m'eans therefor embodying an electrically-actuated devicefor an electric deable to break the circuit through the eiectrically actuated device thereof and thereby; render the sounding means inoperative, and a playing key embed ing jointly operable he circuits of both de-. vices for closing the circuit through the electrically actuated device and the circuit through the controlling device with one actuation.

At. In a musical instrument, the combination with a tone prodncing'element, electro pneumatic sounding means therefor, and a pleyinglrey for closing" the circuit through the latter, of itch'in circuit, a beitor operating one of its contacts to break the circuit and render the sounding means inoperative, means for suppl ing 0pe sting pressure to the bellows and an electrical device controlling said supply and Copies 0! this patent may be obtained for five cents hen/ ing its circuit closed by the nctnation the'key.

5. In a, niusicai instrument, the combinetion with two tone-producing elements, 9; playing key and me'ens for sounding one oi them continuously While the key is depressed, or" means for sounding the other by the same depression of the key, a controlling device for interrupting the operation of the inst mentioned-means and connections from. the key to said device for operating it by the aforesaid depression of the key jointly Wit the operation of said last mentioned meme.

6 in a inusicei instrument, the combination with two sound producing elements, playing key and means for operating one of them 'conti'nuousiy While the hey is depressed, of operating means for the other including an electrically actuated device, having its circuit closed by the depression of the key. an electrical controling 3 for the last mentioned oper e means bodyiug a switch io ated to bre T1; the c through the electri ii iv actuated. ice,

i. cans embodying an electrical device crating the switch, and connections he, the last mentioned means and the its operating the switch-operating means by the same depression of he each, by addressing the "Commissioner I? Washington, D. G. 

